Fishing reels having line spools that rotate as line is paid out are well known. One common form of such reels is known as a baitcast reel and utilizes a line spool that is mounted by roller bearings or bushings to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the length of the fishing rod to which it attaches.
Two desirable features for fishing reels are light weight and long casting ability. A lightweight reel is desirable because it is common for fishing equipment to be hand carried relatively long distances to remote lakes or streams and because it is common for the reel, in combination with a rod, to be held and manipulated for relatively long periods of time while in use. Long casting performance by a reel allows a fisherman to place a lure or bait at a point that is remote from the fisherman's physical location. This allows the fisherman the most options for placement of a lure or bait without having to relocate. Thus, there is a continuing desire for lighter weight and longer casting reels.
While the industry has been successful in providing lightweight reels and in providing reels that have long casting performance, the industry has been relatively unsuccessful in providing a reel that combines both of these desirable features. This is in part because line spools made of a relatively heavy material can provide a long casting performance, but tend to make a reel undesirably heavy; while line spools made from a relatively light material can provide lightweight reels, but tend not to provide long casting performance.